Do you work from home and are tired of getting cramps in your back from sitting in a chair for hours on end? You aren’t alone!
While it is worth assessing the type of chair you use to make yourself more comfortable, it’s also worth thinking about what is prompting you to sit in a way that is causing your back to become tense.
There have been many myths over the years about posture and sitting in chairs that may guide your seating decisions. So, here, the most common myths are explored and debunked.
Sitting Up Straight is Good For You
Yes, sitting up straight is good for you for a brief period.
However, that’s not ideal if you aim to sit in your work chair for hours and hours with your back straight. The spine is slightly curved, so you should ideally look for a chair that supports this, like a bean bag chair.
Sitting Still Is Better For You
Imagine the stress position; it is one where you have to hold a pose without moving. Thus, the muscles become tense and begin to hurt.
The same is true with sitting posture. To keep yourself free from discomfort, try to move about as much as you can. This will help the muscles in your back, neck, and shoulders become mobile, preventing muscle cramps and a lactic acid build-up.
Shoulders Back Are The Best Way To Improve Posture
If you are someone who is a master of yoga, then it may be the case that pulling your shoulders back and down is not going to be an issue for you relating to posture. But that’s the thing. A master of yoga has more muscle strength than the average person, for whom doing such an action can be exceedingly uncomfortable and potentially damaging.
Significant balance of the muscles is needed to sit for prolonged periods with your shoulders back, which can put pressure on the back and the spine. It can also cause tension to build in the neck.
You Can Improve Your Posture By Squeezing Your Buttocks Together
This was a myth in the 1990s that many people still believe today.
When you squeeze your gluteal muscles, it tucks the pelvis into a tilted position under the rib cage. This is not ideal for balance, and if you are looking at the group of muscles you need to be focused on for better posture, it is the abdominal muscles. Squeezing your bottom muscles together to correct posture while sitting does not rely on gravity as much, meaning that there may be issues when walking or standing. So, don’t do it!
Bad Posture Leads To Prolonged Discomfort
OK, so there is a seed of truth in this, but if you were to sit with a hunched posture for one day while typing, it wouldn’t lead to prolonged discomfort in your back or your shoulders.
In fact, if you are sitting in a bad posture, you are more likely to move, which resolves the tension that can accumulate and lead to discomfort in the muscles. As long as you aren’t holding the bad posture for multiple hours and are moving, it is unlikely that pain will be the result.